All-new Range Rover Sport sets Pikes Peak record

The all-new Range Rover Sport has established the record for a production-standard SUV on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course.

The Range Rover Sport covered the 19.99 kilometre section of road from a standing start in 12 minutes 35.61 seconds – an average speed of 95.23 km/h.

The record was independently timed and sanctioned by the by PPIHC (Pikes Peak International Hill Climb), organisers of the annual Pikes Peak event.

The record was set by a Range Rover Sport 5.0-litre V8 Supercharged model developing 375kW and fitted with a roll cage and harness seatbelts to meet race safety regulations.

Pikes Peak specialist and American competition and stunt driver, Paul Dallenbach, 45 years old, from Basalt in Colorado, drove the Range Rover Sport on the run. Dallenback has won his division at the Hill Climb six times and has won the event outright three times.

“There’s no margin for error at Pikes Peak – you only need to misjudge one of those 156 turns and you’re into the trees or over the edge of the mountain. To take on this place the way I did today, you need complete confidence in your vehicle, and the Range Rover sure gave me that – it’s fast responsive and agile.”

I was able to place the car exactly where I wanted it on the road to keep the optimum high-speed lines through corners”, added Dallenbach.

CarAdvice will be attending the international launch event for the all-new Range Rover Sport in July, following our test drive in a prototype version in the UK earlier this year.